Claire Temple

Luke Cage

The character of African-American superhero Luke Cage was created shortly after Blaxploitation films emerged as a popular new genre. In Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #2 (August 1972), Cage meets Dr. Claire Temple, who works with Dr. Noah Burstein at his 42nd Street storefront clinic. Cage has been shot by hitmen sent by the criminal Diamondback, and Claire is surprised to find him only bruised by the bullets. She is subsequently kidnapped by Diamondback, whom Cage discovers is his old friend Willis Stryker, the man who had framed Cage for the crime that sent him to prison. Cage frees Claire but Diamondback is killed by one of his own weapons. Claire corroborates Cage's story with the police, and the two become romantically involved. In 1973, Claire is surprised to see two grateful clients kissing Cage, but spending Christmas Eve together they are assaulted twice by the criminal Marley, whom Cage later subdues. As Claire and Cage continue dating, Dr. Burstein—who is partially responsible for giving Cage his powers—continues to keep the secret from Claire (Daily Bugle reporter Phil Fox) that Cage escaped from prison. Cage is tortured by his complicity in the death of the criminal Lionfang, but Claire helps him to realize that the villain brought it upon himself. Having discovered Cage's secret but unable to publish it, Fox teams up with Cage's prison guard nemesis Billy Bob Rackham to get revenge on Cage by kidnapping Claire. They kidnap the wrong woman, Fox is killed and the police find Claire holding the murder weapon. Cage creates a distraction to talk to Claire in custody, and she tells him that she now knows he is an escaped convict. Cage vows to find Fox's real killer. Rackham is revealed as the murderer, exonerating Claire, who is reunited with Cage.

In the now-retitled Luke Cage, Power Man #18 (April 1974), Cage mourns his ex-girlfriend Reva Connors, who had been killed because of his rivalry with Willis Stryker. Despite Cage's belief that everyone who gets close to him dies, he and Claire decide to stay together. The relationship continues for years, with Claire often in danger because of her connection to Cage, and by 1976 his chosen profession has caused much conflict between them. Cage is finally exonerated for the crime that originally put him in prison, but in the retitled Power Man and Iron Fist #50 (April 1978), Claire can no longer handle him constantly being in danger, and they separate.

Claire and Cage meet again in 1982, first at a crime scene, and then when she treats the injuries of his girlfriend, Harmony Young. Cage inadvertently insults Claire while she is treating his friend, Rafael Scarfe, in 1983. Soon after, he decides to quit fighting crime because the local citizens seem ungrateful and derisive, but she convinces him how important his work is. Later in the series, Claire treats an injured Iron Fist.

Other appearances

In Black Goliath #1 (February 1976), Bill Foster/Black Goliath recalls his marriage to his college sweetheart Claire and their eventual separation.

Claire treats a fully costumed Spider-Man following his fight with Man-Thing in Marvel Team-Up #123 (November 1982).

As part of the All-New, All-Different Marvel, Claire is a doctor who specializes in dealing with super-powered humans and bionic implants. She first appears in December 2015 in Captain America: Sam Wilson #4, where she treats Captain America (Sam Wilson) when he is transformed into a werewolf by Karl Malus and is later shown to be in regular contact with Misty Knight.

In other media